A contemporary outdoor colour palette blends seamlessly with a garden rooted in history

Photography By Gillian Jackson

Since the beginning of time, humans have toiled to impose order over the terrain and create art from the landscape. Formal gardens have a long history; from the Middle Ages, English country manors borrowed from the jardin à la française (literally, garden in the French manner) who learned horticultural pursuits from Italian Renaissance gardeners. Before that, planned gardens can be traced back centuries to the Middle East.

But some present-day residential lots defy order, and pose a dilemma to new homebuilders, especially when the lot is on a corner; it’s curve-shaped and it’s not level. Where do you situate the house so it will embrace the terrain?

When realty and history collide

For these homeowners, building a stately, French chateau-style home on an irregular lot wasn’t the only plan. In spite of the curves, they also wanted lush formal gardens. David Small Designs, located in Mississauga, created the home – reflecting the best of French Renaissance architecture, which embraces the irregularly-shaped lot. The hardscaping, landscaping and pool design was entrusted to ProScape Land Design Inc. in Oakville who formalized the exterior plan.

“THE FORMALITY OF THE STONE PATHWAY GIVES WAY TO a wonderful mix of contemporary, traditional and cottage-style elements THAT WORK BEAUTIFULLY TOGETHER ON THE ENTERTAINING SIDE OF THE YARD. “

Making a formal, first impression

The large gables, bold, steeply-pitched rooflines and warm, light-coloured stone on the entire exterior of the home set the tone. The landscapers replicated those warm tones in stone pillars, walls and raised garden beds. The placement of the gated entry with ornate wrought ironwork was carefully considered to preserve the mature trees on the property. Boxwood hedges, natural stone pavers and symmetrical plantings were added to give a formal air to the public side of the house.

Layered and lush

The formality of the stone pathway gives way to a wonderful mix of contemporary, traditional and cottage-style elements that work beautifully together on the entertaining side of the yard.

Here, symmetry and balance add a contemporary element poolside; graduated steps lead you from the ankle-deep shallow end to the deep end; gas-operated fire bowls flank the pool and three modern, bronze waterfall features spill from the expansive stone wall.

Traditional plantings

Like a traditional garden, boxwood hedges and cedars frame beds of Chanticleer pear trees, Hosta plants and Japanese and native grasses. Even the white hydrangeas seem to pay homage to historical English Rose gardens, while adding to the understated green-and-white scheme. However, a jolt of electric teal, blues and lime green in the lounges, chairs and ottoman fabric remind us this is where we have fun!

The stone path continues to lead us to a stone wall and pergola-framed lounge area with lots of cosy seating around a large, gas firepit. It’s perfect for roasting marshmallows on a long summer night.

Loggia-style outdoor, covered deck

With entertaining in mind, the homeowners wanted an outdoor living and dining room with a wood-burning fireplace, large table for dining and an unobstructed view of the pool. A medium stained, bead-board ceiling adds a cottage feel, even at 11-feet high! Surprisingly, the curved, wicker seating arrangement by the grand, stone fireplace and the glassed-in balcony work harmoniously together. Stone steps that connect the deck to the pool level offer yet another place to perch and enjoy the view.

So, where is the lawn?

Instead of grass, the homeowners opted for artificial turf for the rest of the yard, now a large dog park devoted to their two Portuguese water dogs. Can you say, “spoiled”?

Contemporary or traditional, formal or wild, gardens are meant to be enjoyed; after all, they are our little piece of paradise.

Toronto has a housing problem; some call it a crisis. One of the levers Council is pulling at to increase more urban housing options (a pilot project) is to construct laneway houses in rear yards that abut public lanes.

Fisher & Paykel incorporates the world’s most innovative technologies and produce the most technically advanced, efficient and contemporary styled appliances. DCS created the first line of high end, commercial quality appliances and expanded to pioneer indoor and outdoor kitchen solutions for the at home chef. TRADE ONLY.

Established in 1987, Caesarstone pioneered the original quartz surface and continues to be a leading developer and manufacturer of premium surfaces. Highly functional and design forward, Caesarstone surfaces have endless application possibilities including kitchen countertops, bathroom vanities, wall paneling, furniture and more.

Euro-Line Appliances has brought elite European engineered appliances to Canadian homes for over 25 years. Our brands exceed expectations and have earned awards in design, engineering, performance, and energy efficiency. All of our cooking, refrigeration, dishwashers, and laundry appliances are created to conserve our non-renewable resources.

Since 1989 Men At Work has specialized in renewing and enlarging older houses in core Toronto neighbourhoods. We are experts in managing the challenges of renovating sensitive old buildings into beautiful, functional, comfortable living spaces.

SFA SANIFLO INC. (“SANIFLO”) is the only manufacturer of its kind in North America offering a complete line of macerating toilet systems for residential and light-commercial applications where installation of plumbing fixtures with below-floor drainage is impossible or cost-prohibitive.

Cosentino is a global, family-owned company that produces and distributes high value innovative surfaces for the world of architecture and design, leaders in their respective segments such as Silestone® Quartz surfaces and Dekton® Ultracompact surfaces. Technologically advanced surfaces that create unique designs for the home and public spaces.

Created by fusion of exceptional design, superior quartz quality and cutting-edge technology, HansStone Quartz weaves together intriguing patterns and colours inspired by the diverse Canadian landscape.

Sharing Passion & Performance. With our unique expertise and sensibilities, gained from our devotion to sound and music, we are committed to creating excitement and cultural inspiration together with people around the world.

Through our customer feedback, we have learned the importance of ‘service’. You said and we listened. We addressed your needs and improvised; bringing you services and quality no one in the industry offers.

Fusion Stone is an easy and budget-friendly way to beautifully upgrade your home, inside and out. A patented Shouldice innovation, Fusion Stone is a thin stone veneer that is easily installed with the included stainless steel clips & screws. You just screw it to the wall and it’s “Hooked for Life”.

With over 90 years of experience, BLANCO is the leading kitchen sinks and faucets manufacturer. From handcrafted in Germany Steelart® sinks and the beauty of Silgranit®, to the European design faucets, BLANCO products are celebrated worldwide for their unmatched quality and design. Blanco Silgranit® sinks are proudly manufactured in Canada TRADE ONLY.

We've been proudly serving the community for more than 160 years. We deliver natural gas safely and reliably to two million homes and businesses across Ontario. With safety as our ongoing priority, we're committed to making communities better places to live.

X-Tile is sure to have whatever you need to express your unique individual style. We offer you an exceptional variety of wall and flooring options in ceramic, porcelain, natural stone, glass, mosaic and much more from leading suppliers around the world. Let our knowledgeable and friendly staff help you in your dream renovation or building project.

H2O2 Wine Cellar Design came to fruition when we realized there was a need for a company that provides a turnkey solution for the most discriminating wine collectors. All of our cellars are built according to wine cellar building codes. From framing, insulation, vapor barriers, to dry walling, flooring, etc, we often exceed the required industry standards to ensure every single cellar that we build is done to our customers' satisfaction.

Perola Kitchens and Interiors is the answer to all your design, remodelling and installation needs. Our designers are recognized in the industry for their expertise and craftsmanship in new construction and remodelling of kitchens, bathrooms, living rooms and dining areas.

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Tarion names winners of 2019 Homeowners’ Choice Awards

Tarion Warranty Corp. has named the winners of its annual Homeowners’ Choice Awards for outstanding builders who received the highest ratings from homebuyers across the province. These are the only awards that focus solely on customer service and are based on feedback from homeowners.

In 2017, Tarion introduced a new honour – the Ernest Assaly Award – for an Ontario builder that demonstrates a commitment to building quality and innovation, customer service and community involvement. Similar to a lifetime achievement award, a builder can receive this recognition only once.

“A new home is a place to make memories,” says Tarion President and CEO Howard Bogach, “and a builder has a big role in determining whether a homeowner’s first memories are positive ones. Thanks to their exemplary customer service, this year’s award recipients not only met – but exceeded – expectations and by so doing set an example for others to follow.”

The Homeowners’ Choice Awards are presented annually based on the results of surveys completed by new homebuyers from across the province. In 2018, Tarion polled 54,518 new-home buyers, asking them about their builder’s performance before, during and after they moved into their new home. More than 11,376 homeowners responded and their feedback determined the recipients for outstanding customer service in the four categories.

The Ernest Assaly Award recognizes the highest level of excellence in Ontario home building while honouring the legacy of Ernest Assaly, a highly respected leader in the residential building industry who was Tarion’s first Chair. Only a select number of Ontario builders met the rigorous criteria required to receive an invitation to make a submission. The recipient of the Ernest Assaly Award is determined by Tarion’s board of directors.

“A well-built home backed by excellent customer service equals a satisfied homeowner,” says Bogach. “Through Tarion’s awards program, these happy homeowners are able to recognize their builders for going the extra mile, and this helps build confidence in the new home building industry as a whole. We congratulate this year’s recipients for their success in creating a positive home-buying experience that their homeowners are happy to share.”

For the full list of Homeowners’ Choice Awards finalists, click here. For the full list of the Ernest Assaly Award finalists, click here.

The Canadian Home Builders’ Association (CHBA) has named Bob Finnigan, partner at Herity (Heathwood Homes), CHBA Past President, member of BILD (GTA) and long-time building industry executive, as its Member of the Year.

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Before you get the keys, you and your builder will do a Pre-Delivery Inspection or PDI. This is an important step – not only does it familiarize you with your new home but it also helps you protect your warranty rights.

With over 90 years of experience, BLANCO is the leading kitchen sinks and faucets manufacturer. From handcrafted in Germany Steelart® sinks and the beauty of Silgranit®, to the European design faucets, BLANCO products are celebrated worldwide for their unmatched quality and design. Blanco Silgranit® sinks are proudly manufactured in Canada TRADE ONLY.

Fusion Stone is an easy and budget-friendly way to beautifully upgrade your home, inside and out. A patented Shouldice innovation, Fusion Stone is a thin stone veneer that is easily installed with the included stainless steel clips & screws. You just screw it to the wall and it’s “Hooked for Life”.

We've been proudly serving the community for more than 160 years. We deliver natural gas safely and reliably to two million homes and businesses across Ontario. With safety as our ongoing priority, we're committed to making communities better places to live.

Established in 1987, Caesarstone pioneered the original quartz surface and continues to be a leading developer and manufacturer of premium surfaces. Highly functional and design forward, Caesarstone surfaces have endless application possibilities including kitchen countertops, bathroom vanities, wall paneling, furniture and more.

Sharing Passion & Performance. With our unique expertise and sensibilities, gained from our devotion to sound and music, we are committed to creating excitement and cultural inspiration together with people around the world.

Cosentino is a global, family-owned company that produces and distributes high value innovative surfaces for the world of architecture and design, leaders in their respective segments such as Silestone® Quartz surfaces and Dekton® Ultracompact surfaces. Technologically advanced surfaces that create unique designs for the home and public spaces.

Since 1989 Men At Work has specialized in renewing and enlarging older houses in core Toronto neighbourhoods. We are experts in managing the challenges of renovating sensitive old buildings into beautiful, functional, comfortable living spaces.

Fisher & Paykel incorporates the world’s most innovative technologies and produce the most technically advanced, efficient and contemporary styled appliances. DCS created the first line of high end, commercial quality appliances and expanded to pioneer indoor and outdoor kitchen solutions for the at home chef. TRADE ONLY.

SFA SANIFLO INC. (“SANIFLO”) is the only manufacturer of its kind in North America offering a complete line of macerating toilet systems for residential and light-commercial applications where installation of plumbing fixtures with below-floor drainage is impossible or cost-prohibitive.

Created by fusion of exceptional design, superior quartz quality and cutting-edge technology, HansStone Quartz weaves together intriguing patterns and colours inspired by the diverse Canadian landscape.

X-Tile is sure to have whatever you need to express your unique individual style. We offer you an exceptional variety of wall and flooring options in ceramic, porcelain, natural stone, glass, mosaic and much more from leading suppliers around the world. Let our knowledgeable and friendly staff help you in your dream renovation or building project.

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Euro-Line Appliances has brought elite European engineered appliances to Canadian homes for over 25 years. Our brands exceed expectations and have earned awards in design, engineering, performance, and energy efficiency. All of our cooking, refrigeration, dishwashers, and laundry appliances are created to conserve our non-renewable resources.

Beauti-Tone paint is a proud Canadian company, available exclusive to Home Hardware stores across Canada. We manufacture a full range of exceptional high quality products with outstanding value. An extensive colour offering, including exclusive collections from Style at Home, Chatelaine, Simon Chang and Sesame Street. That’s why we are Canada’s paint experts.

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Buying a new home and have some questions? Ask now, and ask often

“Got questions? We have answers.” If you’re a prospective new-home buyer in the GTA, you may have noticed an advertising campaign with these and other similar messages lately.

The “we” is GTA homebuilders, and through a Building Answers public awareness campaign launched by their representative body, the Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD), they aim to provide the answers.

Indeed, this six-week program that began in early April should be just beginning of ongoing communications with homebuyers.

Comprising billboard, transit and media advertising and other communications, Building Answers strives to do just that – provide answers to many of the questions GTA homeowners and prospective homebuyers have.

It’s a long list. Here are some of them:

Why is there so much development in the GTA?

Do we really need all these condominiums and other developments?

What makes up the cost of a new home or condominium?

How does transit benefit from new development?

How much do homebuilders make on an average project?

Why does the price of homes in the GTA keep rising?

And the big one, for those who have been saving to buy a home, only to watch on the sidelines as prices continue to rise:

Will I ever be able to afford a home in the GTA?

These are not fictitious, marketing-oriented questions. They are actual queries from would-be homebuyers who legitimately wonder when, and how, they’ll be able to buy a home here. And if they can’t, should they look, and consider moving, elsewhere?

There are countless other questions, of course, and you can view the detailed answers to all of them – and ask your own – at a dedicated website buildinganswers.ca.

If you’re spending hundreds of thousands of dollars – or beyond a million – on a home, you have every right to ask all the questions you want. And if you don’t get an answer that satisfies you, ask again. Or move along to another builder.

With Building Answers, the companies that provide these new-home buying opportunities in the GTA have demonstrated they are open to the discussion.

Even beyond the scope of this program – raise your hand and ask all the questions you need to.

The Canadian Home Builders’ Association (CHBA) has named Bob Finnigan, partner at Herity (Heathwood Homes), CHBA Past President, member of BILD (GTA) and long-time building industry executive, as its Member of the Year.

Great Gulf and Tridel were among the big winners at the recent 39th Annual BILD Awards, as the Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD) recognized the top builders and developers, projects and marketing initiatives in the industry.

Before you get the keys, you and your builder will do a Pre-Delivery Inspection or PDI. This is an important step – not only does it familiarize you with your new home but it also helps you protect your warranty rights.

Through our customer feedback, we have learned the importance of ‘service’. You said and we listened. We addressed your needs and improvised; bringing you services and quality no one in the industry offers.

Established in 1987, Caesarstone pioneered the original quartz surface and continues to be a leading developer and manufacturer of premium surfaces. Highly functional and design forward, Caesarstone surfaces have endless application possibilities including kitchen countertops, bathroom vanities, wall paneling, furniture and more.

Cosentino is a global, family-owned company that produces and distributes high value innovative surfaces for the world of architecture and design, leaders in their respective segments such as Silestone® Quartz surfaces and Dekton® Ultracompact surfaces. Technologically advanced surfaces that create unique designs for the home and public spaces.

SFA SANIFLO INC. (“SANIFLO”) is the only manufacturer of its kind in North America offering a complete line of macerating toilet systems for residential and light-commercial applications where installation of plumbing fixtures with below-floor drainage is impossible or cost-prohibitive.

Fusion Stone is an easy and budget-friendly way to beautifully upgrade your home, inside and out. A patented Shouldice innovation, Fusion Stone is a thin stone veneer that is easily installed with the included stainless steel clips & screws. You just screw it to the wall and it’s “Hooked for Life”.

We've been proudly serving the community for more than 160 years. We deliver natural gas safely and reliably to two million homes and businesses across Ontario. With safety as our ongoing priority, we're committed to making communities better places to live.

Sharing Passion & Performance. With our unique expertise and sensibilities, gained from our devotion to sound and music, we are committed to creating excitement and cultural inspiration together with people around the world.

Since 1989 Men At Work has specialized in renewing and enlarging older houses in core Toronto neighbourhoods. We are experts in managing the challenges of renovating sensitive old buildings into beautiful, functional, comfortable living spaces.

X-Tile is sure to have whatever you need to express your unique individual style. We offer you an exceptional variety of wall and flooring options in ceramic, porcelain, natural stone, glass, mosaic and much more from leading suppliers around the world. Let our knowledgeable and friendly staff help you in your dream renovation or building project.

Fisher & Paykel incorporates the world’s most innovative technologies and produce the most technically advanced, efficient and contemporary styled appliances. DCS created the first line of high end, commercial quality appliances and expanded to pioneer indoor and outdoor kitchen solutions for the at home chef. TRADE ONLY.

Euro-Line Appliances has brought elite European engineered appliances to Canadian homes for over 25 years. Our brands exceed expectations and have earned awards in design, engineering, performance, and energy efficiency. All of our cooking, refrigeration, dishwashers, and laundry appliances are created to conserve our non-renewable resources.

With over 90 years of experience, BLANCO is the leading kitchen sinks and faucets manufacturer. From handcrafted in Germany Steelart® sinks and the beauty of Silgranit®, to the European design faucets, BLANCO products are celebrated worldwide for their unmatched quality and design. Blanco Silgranit® sinks are proudly manufactured in Canada TRADE ONLY.

Created by fusion of exceptional design, superior quartz quality and cutting-edge technology, HansStone Quartz weaves together intriguing patterns and colours inspired by the diverse Canadian landscape.

Space Age Closets and Custom Cabinetry has been serving Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area for over 30 years. Our services include a wide array of custom storage solutions for every room in your home. With decades of experience designing and installing custom closets and cabinets we pledge to provide excellence in service and get the job done right the first time.

Let Tapestry Decor Bring your ideas to Life!!! From Custom Drapery to full Interior Renovations, we cover all your needs from A to Z. Tapestry Decor is a distinctive establishment offering Full Interior Design and Decor services.

stablished in 1988, Maple Drapery & Carpet Ltd., has become an expert in custom interior decorating. Well known for being at the leading edge of quality custom designed drapery, window coverings, shutters and blinds. The most discerning client can also find a vast array of luxurious custom bedding, wall to wall carpet and commercial flooring.

IMPROVE is totally unique to Canada. Based on the international success of similar concepts throughout the world, IMPROVE understands how to make home improvement much easier and more pleasurable for consumers and trades to shop all under one roof.

Over the past three decades, Ryan Design International has emerged as a true leader and innovator in the field of real estate marketing, advertising, graphic and environmental design as well as cutting-edge web marketing. Since its founding in 1977 the company has grown to be a full-service advertising agency, playing an instrumental role in the successful launching and on-going marketing of many international real estate projects.